Projects New GMC Shop Truck Project

Chevy if you just want a car but GMC if you want a TRUCK. At least back in the day. When I bought my ot '78 GMC p/u the build sheet had a line item for conversion to GMC. I always wondered if the ***embly workers ever got bored and installed Chevy emblems on one side and GMC emblems on the other. And if they did, how long would it be until someone noticed.

 

When I worked at a GMC dealership in 1975 and 1976 we would get new gmc's with Chevy horn pads and outside emblems .

 

Cheaper than drugs

 

One of my friends did new car prep at a Chrysler/Plymouth dealership in the late '70s, and saw a few cars come through with Aspen emblems on one side and Volare on the other.

 

Wouldn't be the HAMB if a few didn't throw out the obligatory "put a Chebbie in it" deal lol. The GMC is a Chebbie with lock washers lol Those old V6s are like a 7.3 Powerstroke, keep clean oil in it and it'll just keep on chuggin

 

You're my hero!

I can see myself tooling around town in a fodoor Lark with a 283 and a floor shifter. I would not change a thing on that car except get it road-worthy and washed. What a fun weekend car show blaster.

Oh, and I would need somewhere to store half my stuff. Preferably with a bathroom.

 

@guthriesmith Check out this thread and video I just found last night. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/gmc-truck-engines.1278306/

 

"My name is Guthriesmith and I'm a caraholic."
"Hi Githriesmith."

 

The 305 is dam near indestructible. I still have a sm420 trans out of a 63. If you need parts. No levers though so be careful and no power shifting. I had a problem a few years ago myself and accidentally had about 20 or 30 Chevy/GMC trucks. Still have some parts left but mostly 64-66 stuff. I may even have a set of GM NOS outer rockers. Have to go look. Let me know. It’s yours for the shipping.

 

I’m supposed to be working on a boring late model, but started wondering what the GMC would look like without the headache rack as I can see it outside the shop. Thankfully, it was only held on by bailing wire and nothing was bolted, etc. So, I pulled it off and obviously like it a lot better. These bedside top rails have no extra holes or dents. Pretty amazing.

 

It has the hard to find GMC hubcaps.......at least they seem rare when I was looking for my Chevy ones the GMC ones where few and far between (and $$$).

 

Nice truck, Looking forward to updates!

 

One of my uncles had a similar year model GMC 1.5 ton dump truck with the V6, I don’t know what size, had a 4 speed with a two speed rear. He used it to pull his D4 sized bulldozer with a backhoe attached. Not fast, was thirsty, but never failed to carry the load! He bought it new or nearly new, used it until his death in the early 2000’s. Don’t know what became of it.

 

My brother had a '64 long bed step side. He bought it from someone in his cl*** for $75. The body was not bad, no engine, bellhousing or clutch. It had a junk 283 in the bed and lots of other real junk in it. Our dad had a cow... he couldn't wrap his head about buying a truck less an engine.

But, he got it together within months of hard work by us and friends. It was quite reliable and ran strong.

 

I can’t believe I have already had this pickup for more than 3 months and haven’t touched it yet. I did get a little sidetracked lately with a Merc, but also haven’t forgotten how much I enjoy old pickups. Mainly just bumping this thread for my own motivation as I looked at it this evening with some of my Merc parts in the back. I also just agreed to help a retired co-worker get his dad’s old 68 C10 running and driving again and he dropped it off this past Sunday. So, it makes me want to do the same with this one.

 

Get busy

 

Good looking truck for sure. Nice find. I would be dying to know if that engine is free or not. Pull them plugs and get them rings soaking in something.

 

I know where the rocker panels are it is just a matter of digging them out from beneath the fallen roof.

 

Yikes. Yea, that makes them tough to get for sure. Guessing they aren’t the only thing under the fallen roof either.

 

Cmon, let’s hear the story

 

Man , you guys down south have all the car fun!!! Always bringing home old iron and having so much of it that you're not sure what to do next, which one to sell, on and on... If I go on Marketplace or craigslist the only things I will see that are relatively close, as a project are 15 year old Toyotas etc!!!

 

Yea, I understand. My brother lives in Michigan as well and most of his cars whether old or later model come out of Oklahoma or Texas. And, strangely enough, none of the vehicles I have drug home have been found on Craigslist or Marketplace. Mine all happen by word of mouth and typically aren’t even advertised.

 

Haha I’ll contest. 3 of the 6 cars I’ve bought this year came from up north. And they wasn’t rust buckets. All found on craigs or Facebook.

 

Not much to tell. 90 years old and leaking add in some hidden rot, carpenter ants and a heavy snow load and 40 feet of the 80 foot roof ends up on the ground.

 

Any updates on the truck? It has a very good look to it

 

No, not yet. I do have pending sales on a couple other vehicles though, so it may be moving inside the shop soon. I have been pretty slammed trying to keep some stuff going, getting a couple cars ready to sell and just surviving three 18-year-olds in the house right now. So...maybe I can get to work sometime later this year on the old GMC.

 

That's a dead ringer for the GMC that the ag shop teacher bought new when I was in high school and drove for a number of years. I changed plugs in that V6 a couple of times and what a pain in the ****.

 

Couple updates that are mostly prompted by my curiosity about cheap flathead headers on a thread here yesterday...

First, I sold my 50 Buick, so am getting closer to working on the GMC. Also, my son is selling his 63 C10 back to my buddy that he bought it from, so that will free up some shop space soon to move the GMC inside the shop to get to work. I should also be getting rid of a couple other distractions in the shop soon as well to pave the way to working on this.

Main reason for the bump on the thread is that seems Holley is almost giving away stuff right now on a Memorial Day Sale. I ended up buying several parts that were marked WAY down from normal price. I didn't buy anything I didn't need although was sure tempted at the prices. I bought a seat cover, carpet (and rubber mat in case I decide to go that way), rear bumper, seat belts (so I can haul my grandson), stainless hardware kit for the bed wood, a patch panel for the rusted area above the windshield, and a new windshield weatherstrip so I can replace my broken windshield.

With the new parts on the way as well as some room in the shop and hopefully some free time, this should start to progress soon.

Oh, also, my buddy that is buying my son's 63 said I could keep the new tires off of it for the GMC since they will likely be old by the time the 63 is done. So, I also have new tires now.

And, since all posts are better with pics, here is my grandson doing some stunt driving in the pickup.

 

The seat cover I bought. It says it is two tone and then it calls it black in the description. I'm hoping for white for the other color. We will see what the other color is I suppose when it shows up. I figure it was worth the gamble at $68.

 

Darn that $39 header thread.
Just bought some stuff for **** I’m not working on yet.
Bought a black seat cover for the 61.
$68.